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The countdown to ski season has officially begun, but it’s no time to relax for Kirkwood.

The resort’s employees worked all summer to prepare for the 2013-14 season, and more projects are planned through its Nov. 22 opening,

“At the end of the season, the checkered flag goes up,” said Dave Myers, director of mountain operations. “But then the green flag goes up again to prepare for the next season.”

Kirkwood has taken on several projects since its doors closed last season, including a new bar, food choices and mountaintop facility. Some were completed before the season begins, but others will continue over the next few weeks.

At the top of Chair 10, a new two-story building was constructed this summer to store a vehicle used for clearing snow. The previous facility — built around the time of the chairlift in 1984 — didn’t offer a place for storage, and the machine was left outside during storms.

Without having to conduct frequent vehicle repairs, crews can now clear snow at a faster pace, spokesman Kevin Cooper said. They can also use the facility as a place of refuge, protecting them in the events of large storms.